PORT ST. LUCIE – It wasn’t a great day for Orlando Hernandez on the mound, but it was at least an interesting day for him regarding his first spring start.

El Duque pitched in a simulated game yesterday at Tradition Field, facing mostly Mets minor leaguers and showing neither high velocity nor pinpoint location nor great results. Afterward, Hernandez and Willie Randolph revealed the 42-year-old is slated to make his first spring start Sunday against the Cardinals.

Hernandez had appeared in one simulated game prior to yesterday, but that consisted of three minor leaguers without any fielders. Yesterday he pitched to catcher Brian Schneider, had minor leaguers behind him and against him and opposed fellow fifth-starter candidate Mike Pelfrey.

It’s hard to fully evaluate the significance of El Duque’s outing. His radar gun readings were low – he had a high of just 81 mph, which could be a threatening sign. Then again, he doesn’t normally throw 95 mph anyway, and this was only a March 18 simulated game.

“Can’t take anything out of playing against Triple-A and Double-A kids,” Randolph said. “Getting your work in. There’s no adrenaline rush, nothing like that.”

Added GM Omar Minaya, “I don’t pay attention to velocity, especially different type of pitchers, too. It’s just more about location and all those kinds of things. There was definitely some progress what we saw. Let’s see when it comes to games.”

Minaya mentioned location, which wasn’t great, either. Overall in his four-inning 80-pitch outing, Hernandez walked four and hit a batter.

Hernandez insisted he was “very happy,” and Schneider said of the location struggles, “It wasn’t disturbing at all. I know it’s easy to dissect every at-bat, but this is the time where you’re working on things.”

Hernandez gave up two homers in his final inning, to Rene Reyes and Chris Aguila. Schneider said Hernandez threw only fastballs that inning.

The bigger issue with Hernandez is probably his new delivery, altered because of his bunion. Hernandez’s leg kick isn’t as high anymore, and now his delivery is more – for lack of a better word – normal.

While Minaya was non-committal about beginning the year with five starters, Randolph said the Mets are planning on having one. He wouldn’t commit to El Duque as being that pitcher, though, saying, “Pelfrey might beat him out.”

If that happens, it’s hard to imagine what would happen with Hernandez since Minaya dismissed the idea yesterday that he could be in the bullpen. The Mets could leave Hernandez in Florida at the start of the year and have Pelfrey begin as the fifth starter.